It seems as if many Americans have forgotten the true meaning behind the ideals set forth by the fathers of our Constitution. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are to be endowed to all people, not just those who were born within our country’s borders. The newly reintroduced DREAM Act is a perfect example of this.

The DREAM Act would allow illegal alien students who are eligible, to receive financial aid in the form of an out-of-state tuition waiver. Students would specifically receive the AB540 tuition fee waiver, applicable for all California universities and community colleges.

The AB540 waiver requires that students have attended a minimum of three years schooling at a California high school or adult education institution, and received a high school diploma or equivalent. The student must also have filed an affidavit with their chosen college or university, stating that they have applied for citizenship or plan to file for citizenship when eligible.

The DREAM Act would provide many migrant students the ability to more easily receive a higher education and become a more integral part of our country’s workforce. Many argue that our budget couldn’t sustain the necessary funds to supplement the DREAM Act, especially for illegal immigrants.

The DREAM Act is not a handout; these students have already been paying tuition and committed to their schooling in California for at least three years. The act would simply make it easier for them to further advance their education.

Unlike its federal counterpart, the California DREAM Act isn’t a gateway to citizenship, simply a better future. These students have the right to an education regardless of their place of birth. The state shouldn’t make their goal any more difficult by forcing them to pay out-of-state tuition.

At Mesa College the price per unit for out-of-state students is currently $190, opposed to the $26 a unit residents pay. In order to be considered a full time student, non-residents have a minimum tuition of $2280, not including additional units or fees. Students who are illegal immigrants fall under this category and have to pay thousands of dollars more than they should.

The majority of opposition to the DREAM Act is motivated by irrational fear and capitalism. Conservatives fear this is an open invitation to illegal aliens, but the goal of the act is to provide immigrants currently residing in California a way to become an active part of our country’s workforce and future. New illegal immigrants wouldn’t be eligible for financial aid for years and that’s only if they’ve acquired a high school diploma or equivalent.

The more concerning oppositionists are the business owners who rely on illegal immigrants as a minimum-wage workforce. If a higher education is made more readily available, it’s speculated that a large number of these workers would choose education over field and factory work. Although this may be true, it’s far from being a bad thing. We cannot afford to support a country of uneducated parasites in order to benefit a few cheap business owners.

What this country really needs is people who are more educated and can help our country flourish in the long-term. There is no doubt that this act will deter some funds from other parts of our budget however it is an investment in the continuity of our country. According to a report done by the College Board in 2010, America is ranked twelfth in the world for having students ages 25 to 34 that have completed an associate’s degree or higher. The DREAM Act and the many educations it would provide, could very well be a precursor to America’s rise back into the forefront of the world and economy.